It's Always Darkest Before Dawn
by Carbo
Summary: A sort of sequel to Bedtime Story. A very gloomy but touching fic on how Trunks and Pan find each other through a certain kind of Darkness.


It's Always Darkest Before Dawn

By Carbo

A sort of a sequel to "Bedtime Story" so I'd advise you to read it first ( or after ), although it isn't necessarily necessary. The story works fine without it, but there are a few things that have inside meaning and will only clear if you read Bedtime story' 

Anyway, this is a gloomy, but such a romantic fic about Trunks and Pan (surprise, surprise!) finding each other through a certain kind of darkness. Probably the best fic I've written so far. I won't say anymore, otherwise it'll ruin the story. 

Ratings PG-13

Sexual implications. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball or it's characters, I don't make any money out of this, and please don't anyone steal my story. That's right, It's MINE! 

She was running, running as fast as she could, hot tears streaming down her flushed face, uncaring the heels of her shoes had long since broken off, or that the stem of her dark green silk gown had ripped half way up her calf after jumping over a high fence. 

She didn't know where she was going, she didn't care. She just needed to get away, as far as she could, from those cursed cold green eyes that use to look at her with such warmth, and from the cruel hurtful words she thought he could never even think of saying. She hated him, she really hated him, for taking away her heart and then ripping it a apart, and she hated herself for letting him. 

She didn't notice the beauty of the city lights that shone around her in red yellow and blue, nor did she notice the ear pounding honks of passing cars, that nearly ran her over as she ran through the busy streets recklessly. Not even the aching of her now bare and bruised feet broke her concentration, or overwhelmed her pain. 

Headlessly, she ran like this for what seemed like painful eternity but in truth it had only been a few minutes, when she suddenly came crashing into a solid wall while running along a busy sidewalk. Actually it hadn't been a wall, but a man she had run into and now lying shamelessly on top of, but she was too dumbstruck to notice. 

"Jesus girl! What are you, the ten o'clock train!?" A masculine voice snapped at her from below. 

Only now did she realize her mistake and ashamed quickly scrambled off the man, mumbling her apologies, her head low and eyes averted while her black shoulder length hair fell over her face, hiding the red brims around her eyes. 

The man instantly felt guilty for yelling at her as he saw in what state the girl was in. She looked simply awful, her shiny black hair a tousled mess, dress ripped halfway along her leg, her feet were bare and bruised, and he could see the shining wetness of her cheeks in the bright street lights. 

"Are you ok?" He asked softly, taking a step towards the shaky but strangely familiar young woman, trying to get her attention. 

But the girl said nothing, didn't even look at him, just stood there, arms wrapped around herself, shivering like a child lost in a big city. 

Taking another step towards her, he placed his hand on her cold shoulder. "Miss?" He asked softly. 

Startled at the sudden warm touch of the stranger, Pan glanced up at him with her teary brown eyes, shock registering in them as she recognized the lavender topped man before her through her tears. Quickly, hoping her cover hadn't been blown, she swirled around in a frenzied attempt to flee. But she was stopped by a solid hand around her wrist and a voice she cursed herself for not recognizing when she'd first heard it. 

"Pan?" He asked her shocked, and whirled her around to face him. 

She closed her eyes, refusing to look at him, trying to stop the streams of tears that had started running down her cheeks again, but to her dismay the stream only grew stronger, making her feel she was going to drown in it. _Fool, stop crying!_ She yelled at herself not wanting to Trunks to see her so weak, so vulnerable. She didn't need him to despise her too. 

"Pan look at me." Trunks told her, fear and concern slightly distorting his normally so calm voice. He was afraid to think what had happened to her, and afraid what he would do to whoever had done it to her. 

But she wouldn't look at him, just shook her head wildly, tears flying from her eyes to the ground, her eyes tightly shut. 

Taking her hand firmly into his, so she couldn't run away, he placed his other hand under her defiant chin and lifted it up slowly, forcing her to look at him. The sight of her teary eyes made his heart shatter. They were so full of pain and despair, things that in his opinion should never find their way to someone like her. 

"What happened?" He asked quietly, trying not to let the anxiety he felt show in his voice, but didn't succeed all that well. Although he knew Pan could easily fend off any human man on this whole planet, he couldn't help but fear the horrible possibility the ripped dress implied. _No it's not possible, _he laughed at himself for being so silly and overprotective. But something had happened, and from the looks of it, it wasn't good. 

Staring up at him, Pan bit her lip the pain and anger welling up in side her. She tried all her might not to burst into tears, but it was all more than she could handle and before she knew it she collapsed helplessly into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. 

"It's ok." He whispered to her ear and stroked her hair softly, a bit shaken by her out burst. It seemed this wasn't a good time to start interrogating her. "It's ok." He repeated softly and closed his eyes, wrapping his arms securely around Pans shivering form, while she clung on to him tightly, sobbing bitterly into his chest. It scared Trunks to the very core to see someone so strong and confident fall down so completely. 

Realizing he should probably get her out of here, Trunks scooped up the devastated girl into his arms, and took of flying into the dark sky, not caring of any possible witnesses that might of seen the act. 

Pan sobbed for almost the whole of the ride, and the rest of the journey she just sat there shivering, her small body huddled tightly against his, head pressed to his chest as she tried to keep herself warm in the cold, strong wind while welling in self-pity. 

Finally they arrived at the Son house, and Pan thanked the stars her parents weren't home. Right now she did not need them fussing over her. 

Opening the door with the spare key, Trunks carried the weary girl into the dark living room, and laid her gently her onto the couch. Turning the lights on, he went to the kitchen to get her something to eat

He came back with a glass of orange juice and a few sandwiches, guessing she was probably hungry. 

Sitting up a little wobbly, Pan gratefully took the food and ate it slowly. Glad she still had an appetite, even if a small one, Trunks sat down beside her and watched her eat. 

After she was finished she sniffled and smiled at him weakly, and then gave him a pleading gaze, too shy right now to ask for what she needed. Trunks smiled at her softly, guessing what she wanted and moved closer so she could crawl into his arms. Resting her head against his chest, she wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes, thankful for the comfort. 

They sat like this for a long time, neither speaking a word, but at moments like this words were unneeded and unwanted. A good twenty minutes went by before Trunks straightened himself a bit, and looked down at Pan, who felt him moving under her and turned to look back up at him. 

Her eyes were still all puffy and red rimmed, and you could still see the tear stains on her cheeks and the smudged mascara, but otherwise she looked slightly better now, some spirit starting to return to her eyes. 

"You think you can you tell me what happened now?" He asked quietly as if afraid of scaring her, and reached down to brush away the hair from her eyes. 

She lowered her head again, biting her lip, and stared at his chest for a moment considering his question. 

"Yeah." She sniffed quietly and nodded, and straightened herself slightly. 

"I was um" she swallowed the goo that had clogged up in her throat from all the crying and took a deep breath. "I was at a restaurant with John and he" She stopped and clenched her teeth together. She couldn't start crying again, not now, but a few tears escaped her eyes anyway. "he told mehe told me there was someone else and that he was sorry but he didn't want to see me" Her voice wavered out, as the tears started running down her cheeks again, soaking Trunks' shirt. She had left out the worst part of it though, for it was too painful to discuss even with trunks. He had been her first, her first lover, and that made everything all the more painful. 

"I'm sorry." She mumbled sniffling and wiped her eyes, feeling stupid for wailing like this. 

"It's ok Pan, cry all you want." He soothed her, and leaned into softly kiss her forehead trying to comfort her to the best of his ability. His heart bled to see hers so broken, and he couldn't even begin to describe the fury he felt for John for daring to do this to her. He knew they'd been together for a long time now, and Pan had cared deeply for guy. 

If he was his father, he probably would've traced the bastard down already and turned him into dust or at least given him a severe beating. But he wasn't Vegeta, or Gohan for that matter. Besides, Pan needed him more than that son of a bitch. 

A long moment past and the tears subsided again and Pan shifted in Trunks' arms. 

"Feeling better?" He asked her with a sympathetic smile. She looked up at him and nodded, then snuggled against him again, closing her eyes. Looking down at her, as he started stroking her dark ebony hair, he suddenly felt a strange feeling of familiarity. 

He suddenly remembered a night about fifteen years ago, when he held her, or she had held him, pretty much the same way. The night she had raced him around the house ten times, and had refused to go to sleep unless he read her Sleeping Beauty'.

Trunks smiled to himself. She had grown up so much since then, pretty much an adult now, but still she held those same characteristics. She still had that fiery, mischievous nature, and still she was every bit as good at testing his nerves, as well as melting his heart, even if he didn't always admit it.

He glanced down at the beautiful face of his long time friend, and found her fast asleep, her breathing steady and peaceful. _Sleeping beauty, indeed_, he smiled. 

Gently gathering the young woman into his arms, careful not to wake her, he lifted her off the couch and slowly carried her up the stairs to her room. _Fifteen years sure makes a difference in weight, _he thought as he adjusted the girl in his arms, not that the son of the second strongest being in the universe would ever have any trouble lifting up a young woman. 

Balancing Pan with one hand, Trunks reached to open the door to her room with the other, and stepped inside. The room had changed a bit along the years, a few things had been done to exterior, and the moon covered blanket no longer occupied her bed. He knew she still had it in her closet though. 

But some things were still there to remind of the old days, like the picture on her desk of her and Trunks at the Tenchikai Budokai taken back when she was five. She looked so cute in that little red fighting outfit of hers. God those days seemed so far, and still so close. 

Leaving memory lane for a moment, Trunks cleared away the blue covers and laid the still evening dress clad Pan carefully down on her bed. He had to admit she looked breathtaking in it, even with her hair tousled and make up smudged. _She'd probably look breathtaking in anything, _he admitted. Pan moaned quietly in her sleep and turned into a more comfortable position, while Trunks pulled the covers over her. 

Kneeling beside her bed, Trunks watched her sleep for a while. _Poor girl_ he sighed to himself sadly, and reached over to brush away a stray strand of her from her milky white face. She didn't deserve to be hurt like this, to cry herself to sleep. She was too precious to be given to some jerk to play with and then to brake. So damn precious. _And so beautiful, _he thought feeling a light pang in his heart, he couldn't quite explain. 

Pushing the strange feeling aside he smiled at her, and after running his fingers gently across her temple and down her cheek in an affectionate gesture, he stood up in an attempt to leave, but a light tug on his shirt stopped him. 

He turned around and found Pan awake, wearily gazing at him with her dark brown eyes. She reached out and grabbed his hand pulling down him to sit on the bed. 

"Trunks-kun?" She asked and gazed up into his clear blue eyes, sifting into a better position. 

"Yes Pan-chan?" He replied softly, now sitting on the edge of her bed, wondering what it was she wanted to tell him. 

"Will you be my Prince?" She said in a hardly audible voice, tears starting to glitter in her eyes again, but she blinked them away. 

Trunks gaped at her speechless. Did she really remember that? She had been four years old then! He stared at her at her dumbly for a moment, but quickly got his head together and smiled. 

"Sure, I'll be your Prince." He whispered to her quietly, and leaned over, his intent to kiss her on the forehead, but on impulse or maybe something else, he looked into her eyes briefly a warm look in his eyes, and instead touched his lips softly to hers. 

It might have been meant as a sweet gesture, but as their lips met, it became something much more. In that gentle, long, caressing kiss both felt something they had been waiting for a long time. 

And as Trunks pulled away, he saw the same conflicted emotions in her eyes that played in his. Was this real, or a just a fabrication? A mere fairytale? He had to admit he truly hoped not. It felt so right, so real, it couldn't be just an illusion, created by his loneliness and her need for comfort. 

For a moment they gazed at each other in silence, trying to work out what was going on. 

Pan had doubts of her own too, although of a slightly different nature. She knew what that kiss had meant to her, the heart fluttering feelings had been as real to her as that moment, she knew she loved him, had done so for quite a while. It was the feelings that she had seen in Trunks' eyes that she wasn't sure about. And having her heart broken twice a night wasn't exactly at the top of her list. 

But right know she was too tired, too numb to think what was the wisest thing to do. Instead she just reached up acting on pure heart instinct alone, grabbed his collar and pulled him down into another kiss. 

This one wasn't as gentle, wasn't as soft, but it was twice as deep and intoxicating. Tongues melting into one, the kiss grew into a whirlpool of emotions and sensations, surprising them both with it's intensity. In the midst of that whirlpool, all doubts disappeared from both their minds, as did everything else, except the wonderful feeling of completion and joy. 

While floating somewhere up in the seventh forbidden heaven, the kiss still growing with fervor, Trunks distantly felt his shirt suddenly coming loose, and two small hands sliding down his bare chest. An alarm bell went off in his head, and quickly pulling away, he snatched her hands from his chest. 

Breathless and lips swollen from the fierce kiss, Pan looked up at him with confusion and desire in her eyes, silently asking what was wrong, although she already knew. 

"We can't." He gasped out of breath, while gazing regretfully into her deep brown eyes that so much wanted him to stay, even if just to comfort her. His heart ached to kiss her again, to hold her and to touch her, but it was too soon, too unexpected and they'd probably regret it later. There were just two many things between them right now, things they'd have to work out before jumping into something neither was ready for. Besides, her parents would be home soon, and facing Gohan in a fight for Pans honor wasn't exactly what he had in mind. 

"I have to go." He whispered, and gazed at her regretfully, caressing her smooth face softly with his fingertips. 

"Please don't go. Stay, stay with me." She pleaded propping herself into a sitting position, and taking his hands between hers. "You don't have to do anything. Just stay." She gazed at him desperately, not wanting to be left alone, not tonight. 

Trunks hesitated, knowing it would be wisest to leave now, but his heart refused to let him off the hook that easily. He knew she needed him, and that wasn't something he could just ignore. 

Giving a deep sigh of defeat, Trunks smiled at her. 

"Alright, I'll stay. But I'm sleeping on the floor. Your dad doesn't trust me that much." He grinned, glad to see the relief in her eyes and the grateful smile that played on her lips, lightening up her far too gloomy face. Even the fire in her eyes he hadn't seen all day, had started to revive itself and was now burning again, although not with full force. 

"Thank you Trunks." She whispered to his ear and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. 

"You're welcome Princess." He whispered back to her, pressing a soft kiss into her hair, this time for something other than comfort. 

End

Oh and please send comments!

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